Lifetime’s 12 Best Romantic Christmas Movies

TL;DR: With more than 60 Christmas movies and specials lined up for December, there’s no doubt Lifetime is the leader when it comes to holiday romance.

December is well under way, and you know what that means. No, not cold weather, cookies or carols — it’s time for Lifetime Christmas movies!

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From time travel to supernatural love notes, believe me when I say no one does yuletide romance better than Lifetime.

“It’s winter. People are in the Christmas spirit. It’s cold outside, and who doesn’t love to curl under a blanket with a good Christmas movie?” said Arturo Interian, Lifetime’s VP of Original Movies.

And I have to agree.

As a sucker for all things Christmas, it’s brings me great joy to count down Lifetime’s 12 best romantic Christmas movies with Interian and discuss why these tales take the Scrooge out of all of us.

12. “Dear Secret Santa”

While somewhat of a noob on the block, 2013’s “Dear Secret Santa” is amazing for many reasons:

I love Lamorne Morris

I seriously lost track of Tatyana Ali until this movie

It’s shock value

Without giving away too much, when her dad is injured while decorating his house for Christmas, workaholic Jennifer comes home to take care of him, only to start receiving romantic notes from an unknown sender.

Who could it be? You’ll have to watch to find out!

11. “Undercover Christmas”

According to Interian, “Undercover Christmas” is one of Lifetime’s most popular Christmas movies, and it’s easy to see why.

Who can resist a movie about a high-strung FBI agent falling in love with a free-spirited cocktail waitress when they pretend to be a couple for Christmas? I know I can’t.

“You have a mismatched couple, which is great for sparks and humor, throw in some relatable family issues, and this film went down like a gourmet plate of macaroni and cheese,” he said. “I think ‘Undercover Christmas’ was a comfort food movie with heart. Who doesn’t love comfort food at Christmas?”

10. “The 12 Trees of Christmas”

Picking out the perfect tree and decorating it is one of the funnest things to do during the season, so “The 12 Trees of Christmas” has a special place in my heart.

Cheri and Tony are the adorable pair we all love to see end up together, fighting and nitpicking while battling it out to see whose tree will reign supreme.

Nothing says Christmas romance more than two people who “can’t stand each other” competing in a contest.

9. “The March Sisters at Christmas”

If you’re a fan of “Little Women,” then you’ll love “The March Sisters at Christmas.”

A retelling of the Louisa May Alcott classic novel, this movie follows the story of four sisters who work to repair the family home so their parents don’t have to sell it, all while balancing conflict, romance and even power tools.

Sounds fun, right?!

8. “A Very Merry Daughter of the Bride”

I have three words: Luke Perry, people!

Now that that’s out of my system, “A Very Merry Daughter of the Bride” plays off the mother-daughter relationship we all know too well, especially when you’re not a fan of Mom’s new boo.

There are two life lessons I took away from this movie:

You’re more like your mother than you think (and it’s OK!)

Love at first sight really can happen (awww)

7. “Christmas on the Bayou”

Having grown up in a state where it can hit 80 degrees on Christmas day, I can totally respect the setting of “Christmas on the Bayou.” What I also can respect is how great this movie is for families.

When marketing exec Katherine, played by Hilarie Burton (TRL, anyone?) returns to Louisiana with her 8-year-old son, Zack, she gets more than she expected in the form of old flame Caleb and a Christmas miracle — it’s Southern charm at its best!

“I think when you make movies that reaffirm family and tradition, you’re putting out good energy in the universe,” Interian said. “If a Christmas movie we made distracted you from a hard day and made you feel good, or made your kids laugh, that’s something anyone can be proud of.”

6. “Kristin’s Christmas Past”

Yes, you can have a Christmas movie with time travel in it and make it work — Lifetime proved that with “Kristin’s Christmas Past.”

For those who’ve wished they could go back to the worst day of their life and make some changes, this is the movie for you. (And how could you resist Shiri Appleby?)

5. “Holiday High School Reunion”

A lot of women dated that guy in high school who they thought was “the one” when they should’ve picked the boy next door, and that’s what makes “Holiday High School Reunion” so relatable.

The only downside is Georgia, played by Rachel Boston (RIP “Witches of East End”), has to somewhat relive high school, which means dealing with mean girls and embarrassing teachers (two things we all wish we could forget), but she pulls through and gets her man.

4. “Love at the Christmas Table”

If you’ve been wondering what happened to Winnie from “The Wonder Years,” look no further than “Love at the Christmas Table.”

This charming movie is about best friends Sam and Katherine, who’ve been sitting at the kids’ table and pining for each other their entire lives. Talk about cute!

3. “Recipe for a Perfect Christmas”

This movie combines two of my favorite things: Christmas and food!

In “Recipe for a Perfect Christmas,” we see JJ, an uptight food critic, make a deal with Alex, an up and coming chef — he dates her eccentric mother through the holidays and she reviews his restaurant. What can go wrong?

The only thing better than watching this movie during Christmastime is watching this movie during Christmastime while eating my weight in candy canes.

2. “All About Christmas Eve”

Forget Hillary Duff — make room for Haylie!

Besides having a super awesome first name, Haylie Duff has been in not one, not two, not three but four (yes, four!) Christmas movies, with “All About Christmas Eve” being the best.

As New York City party planner, Eve has a lot on her plate, including deciding to take on her agency’s top client or go on a romantic vacation with her boyfriend. Where do you think fate will take her?

1. “12 Men of Christmas”

Hands down “12 Men of Christmas” is my all-time FAVE Lifetime Christmas movie. I’ve already watched it two times this year alone. (Don’t judge me.)

Plus with Kristin Chenowith playing an NYC publicist who’s out of her element and Josh Hopkins playing an arrogant member of the Kalispell, Montana, Search and Rescue team, you can’t go wrong.

Why you should choose Lifetime this Christmas

Not only does the team at Lifetime come up with different ideas for Christmas movies every year, but they also push themselves to the limit, going beyond the typical story line.

“We think we can be irreverent and still have heart without lathering on the schmaltz. We’re looking to brand our movies a little differently, make them cooler, make them hipper, make them funnier,” Interian said. “We’re excited about ‘Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever’ and ‘An En Vogue Christmas’, and after that, you’ll see us makes some REALLY crazy choices.”

So if you’re ready to start your romantic Christmas movie marathon, start with Lifetime. Your holidays will never be the same!

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Hayley Matthews

As the editor-in-chief of DatingAdvice.com, I oversee content strategy, social media engagement, and media opportunities. When I'm not writing about cheese or my 19-year love affair with Leonardo DiCaprio, I'm listening to The Beatles, watching Harry Potter reruns (I'm a proud Slytherin!), or drinking IPAs.

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